Dopey Report Card: Colts vs. Titans

For 35 minutes, the Colts were as dominant as they could possibly be. Then they collapsed. Thank goodness for Jonathan Taylor.

RUN OFFENSE

OK, so this is going to be a long one, thanks to the many post-game notes the Colts media relations staff put together after Sunday’s game:

The Colts set a single game franchise rushing record with 335 yards. Jonathan Taylor, who had 218 yards and three TD’s on 29 carries, produced the third-most rushing yards in single-game team history. Taylor is one of two players (Edge was the other) to run for over 200 yards. He passed former Baltimore Colt Tom Matte for third-most rushing TD’s (45) in team history. He passed Marshall Faulk (51) and tied Edge (52) for the second-most total TD’s by a Colt in his first five seasons. He hit 100 yards in the first half alone for the second time this season and is the only NFL player to accomplish that feat. Taylor is one of two players to have two 60-yard or more TD runs in a game (Saquon Barkley is the other). JT didn’t exactly redeem himself for last week’s folly in Denver, but he showed again why he’s the one great difference-maker on this roster. It also helped to have Ryan Kelly back at center after missing some time. Solid rushing performance from Anthony Richardson as well – 9 rushes, 70 yards. It was the most dominating rushing performance I’ve seen from the Colts since I arrived nearly 25 years ago.

Grade: A+++++

RUN DEFENSE

The Titans ran for just 65 yards, the second-fewest the Colts have allowed this season (they gave up 63 to the Bears earlier). But I want to take some time here to talk about DeForest Buckner, who had five tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed. This guy is a great player, a man who produces despite a steady diet of double teams. For the longest time, I’ve waited for Buckner to make noise about a trade to a team with Super Bowl aspirations, but he’s thus far resisted that temptation. (If he did, I wouldn’t blame him.) Just a total pro. Linebacker Jaylon Carlies played in the place of E.J. Speed and registered a career-high 10 tackles, six solo tackles and one tackle for loss. The tackling got a little shoddy late in the game when the Titans were attempting an epic comeback, but otherwise, no complaints.

Grade: A-

PASS OFFENSE

Grade: Incomplete.

Seriously, has any team ever completed fewer than 10 passes and scored 38 points? Richardson, who could have spent the day in a beach chair with a pina colada in hand, completed 7-of-11 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It reminded me of the Carson Wentz game against the Patriots in 2021 when he completed 5-of-12 passes for 57 yards and the Colts won 27-17 behind Taylor and the running game. Richardson did have one huge completion, hitting Michael Pittman, Jr. on a quick out late in the game to maintain possession as the Titans were coming back.

Again…

Grade: Incomplete.

PASS DEFENSE

Ordinarily, the Colts have a way of turning no-name quarterbacks into prime Dan Marino, but they held Mason Rudolph in check until a late comeback effort that had some of us flashing back to the 33-0 game in Minnesota two years ago. Huge game from Kenny Moore II, who had three tackles, two passes defensed and two interceptions. On and off the field, where Moore is the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate, he gets it. Should also mention, the other two cornerbacks, Sam Womack III and Jaylon Jones, have not been the liabilities most of us feared they would be. They’re not elite, by any stretch, but they’ve been more than workable.

Grade: B-

COACHING

Simple game for Shane Steichen Sunday: Just stick the ball in Taylor’s belly and watch him do his magic. That said, the jury (I’m the foreman) is still out of Steichen, just as it is on Richardson. Steichen’s job was to develop Richardson, and while we’ve seen some marginal statistical improvement out of the quarterback position since the benching, he’s still nowhere close to where he needs to be. Sunday told us nothing. We know he can run (70 yards against the Titans) but beyond that? I have no doubt that Steichen is an X-and-O wizard; we saw that last year when he led a top-10 offense quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew. But is he a leader of men? And can he develop Richardson into the type of force of nature he did with Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts? Year 3 should tell us more. For those who question why he pulled Taylor and some of his starters late, only to watch Tennessee storm back, stop: They were leading by 31 points with six minutes left in the third quarter. You should be able to entrust that kind of lead to whoever you have out there.

Grade: B

INTANGIBLES

I don’t know whether to be thrilled with the way the Colts played the first 35 minutes or aghast at the way they fell apart the last 25. Mixed feelings, to say the least. All we know about this team is they can beat lousy opponents; the Colts are 1-7 against teams with a record over .500. The win kept them alive (barely) in the playoff race which, I guess, is something. Not much, but something.

Grade: B-